Prequel to Octopath Traveler titled "Champion of the Continent" is headed to smartphones in Japan later this year.

Even when they were shipping their turn-based role-playing title Octopath Traveler for Nintendo Switch, developer/publisher Square Enix probably never has thought that the game would be a great success and led to a sequel announcement.

Launching as a free-to-play single-player RPG, the game is likely to feature some in-app purchases. Set in a few years earlier period to the Switch exclusive title of 2018, it will take players back in the land of Orsterra.

Original eight-character party system will return once again in their signature 2D-HD styled visuals. Featuring command-based battles, your selected protagonist stands against a great evil and will operate via touch and swipe.

Interested player can now pre-register through their Official Website to join early access for a demo on March 12, 2019. Although announced to come out in Japan, we are still hopeful that a Western release is very much possible in a foreseeable future.

Despite moving over to smartphones for their next release, the development team assured that the series is not shifting direction or platforms at all. A mobile version will just keep the fans busy until they could wrap up production of the sequel.

Octopath Traveler met with an immediate success upon release on July 2018 and many customers were unable to purchase a physical copy when it completely sold out in Japan, leading the publisher to issue an apology.

The franchise has currently sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide and though a free-to-play title, Octopath Traveler: Champion of the Continent will keep the hype among fans alive until the upcoming anticipated sequel arrives on consoles.

Friday, February 1, 2019

Nintendo has delayed their upcoming mobile game Mario Kart Tour to summer 2019 in order to improve its quality.

Even Nintendo has finally given in to the irresistible charm of mobile gaming when they announced Mario Kart Tour for mobile devices and shifted focus developing new titles for the platform considering its ever growing market.

Without much details related to the game to discuss, we had a release window targeted for April 2019 back then and now, Nintendo has reportedly delayed the game and pushed back to summer 2019 until any further official notice.

After launching back in 1992 as a go-cart racing game featuring other Mario series characters, Super Mario Kart pioneered a sub-franchise on its own by generating 13 installments for arcade games, consoles and portable devices so far.

Longtime Mario fans and many other players were excited wondering to play their favorite games on smart phones but Nintendo had to pedal the brakes as they wanted to improve quality of the game and had to postpone from releasing on previous schedule.

The company wanted to take a huge step into the smart device business and originally planned to offer post-launch content as part of their continued service. They also have their priorities set straight about existing mobile titles that fans are already enjoying.

Current mobile titles like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Fire Emblem Heroes and Pokémon GO have seen massive success upon release. When they dropped Super Mario Run for the platform, it was downloaded 40 million times within first four days.

Mario Kart is so popular to the fans that it is about to become a theme park ride at Universal Studios Japan and this delay can eventually turn out to be good for Mario Kart Tour as Nintendo has a history of making delayed game worth the wait.

Monday, January 7, 2019

Amanda Ripley from Alien: Isolation returns for another showdown with a deadly Xenomorph in Alien: Blackout mobile game.

Last year in January, 20th Century Fox has acquired developer Cold Iron Studios for their video game division FoxNext Games and they announced to have been working on a shooter title that is set on the sci-fi horror franchise of Alien, created by director Ridley Scott in 1979.

Then Alien: Blackout title being trademarked by Fox revealed the name of the game and it was about to be announced at The Game Awards 2018, which didn't happen in the end. The game has finally dropped a trailer and it turns out to be a premium mobile game.

The trailer gives away a survival horror type atmosphere the game offers where daughter of Ellen Ripley and the protagonist of Alien: Isolation, Amanda Ripley is shown to be locked with a Xenomorph aboard Weyland-Yutani space station.

Players will assume her role in a struggle to survive the deadliest species of the galaxy trying to outsmart her and the crew in every move. In order to stay alive, you could risk the lives of other crew members or try to rely on the damaged controls of the station.

Instead jumping with joy, people who eagerly waited for the reveal are giving the title a cold shoulder, because the game was rumored to be shooter title for PC and consoles but then turned out to be a mobile app that no one asked for.

Yes, the return of Amanda Ripley is really exciting for the fans that played the previous game but they wanted to play the new game on available major gaming platform and bringing the game on mobile after all this hype can simply turn out to be another greedy cashgrab attempt.

Apparently, many major video game companies are shifting their effort towards mobile game development these days, thus ruining beloved franchise for fans and looks like none of them has learned anything from the Diablo Immortal backlash at BlizzCon 2018.

Alien: Blackout, a direct sequel to Alien: Isolation will be coming soon on App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store for playing on mobile devices priced $4.99 only. FoxNext has associated themselves with D3 Go, Theory Interactive and Rival Games for the project.

Back in June 2018, Bethesda Softworks filed a lawsuit against Behaviour Interactive over the allegation that they have made base-building mobile game Westworld a shameless rip-off of their free-to-play simulation game Fallout Shelter.

Apparently, both parties and Warner Bros. Entertainment has agreed to resolve the lawsuit claim over the matter after reaching an amicable settlement recently. The plaintiff has filed a notice in federal court on December 12 following the resolution.

Behaviour has previously worked with Bethesda to develop Fallout Shelter that was launched for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 2015. Even though it lacked endgame goals, people found it quite addictive to play.

The game based on the popular HBO series debuted lately with almost similar gameplay features in addition with some of the same bugs from an early version of Bethesda's title, causing them to raise eyebrows in suspicion of Behaviour re-using their code.

If the animations and art style of the game was not similar enough to recognize, the glitches made it obvious and for using their copyrighted code, they proceeded with a lawsuit against their former partner until they assured of not using any code from Fallout Shelter.

Westworld rights holder and publisher of the mobile game based on the same sci-fi Western franchise WB was also included in the claim suggesting their involvement in encouraging the developer to re-use the code to speed up the release.

Bethesda has now come to a peaceful settlement with Behaviour Interactive and Warner Bros. Entertainment under undisclosed terms. They also agreed to bear their own cost regarding the dispute and fees for their attorneys.

Currently, sci-fi thriller mobile game Westworld is still available on App Store and Google Play to download and enjoy on both Android and iOS devices. On the other hand, Fallout franchise owners have solved their second lawsuit of 2018 after the Oculus VR headset debacle with Facebook.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Hearthstone adds new single-player mode Rumble Run for their newly released expansion Rastakhan's Rumble.

During the BlizzCon 2018 event, developer/publisher Blizzard Entertainment announced the newest expansion pack Rastakhan's Rumble for their free-to-play online collectible card game Hearthstone, which has now introduced a brand new single-player mode.

Titled Rumble Run, this mode is similar to the single-player content of the game like Dungeon Run and Monster Hunt. It will let you challenge AI opponents into deck-building puzzle and is made available from today, December 13, 2018 for Android and iOS devices, Mac and PC.

Even though the latest expansion came out on December 4, the solo mode waited a few weeks extra to drop in. The game lets players start as young troll Rikkar and pick a Shrine as his faction for the run to defeat champions from other factions in the arena.

You start with a class, 10 Health and with a weak deck to enter for your first match. For defeating a boss, you gain extra 5 Health each time and can gain up to 45 Health by the time the eighth and final boss arrives. Additionally, participants get new cards for each victory to make their deck stronger.

The only setback of losing is that one has to start over and that is only understandable, right? People having the option to choose from different classes and explore the random elements scattered around are the appealing charm that gives it replay value.

Although Rastakhan's Rumble has been receiving mostly positive feedback from fans, some are complaining that the newest set is relatively weaker than the earlier and with modes like Rumble Run, there is always scope for newer cards to shine.

For years now, Hearthstone has been a successful competitive collectible card game title from Blizzard that has millions of the fans engaged since 2014. A several few expansions later, the game is still relevant to the players and the developers continue to pour in contents for them.

Currently, the king of digital card game genre, the title has over 100 million registered players that are making hundreds of millions each year, generating one quarter of the total market revenue alone and such new experiences like Rumble Run will only keep it going.

The initial showing was quite impressive and the audience loved it but after the recent backlash with the release of Fallout 76, Bethesda probably decided to take time with their next free-to-play mobile title for Android and iOS devices.

Until the studio come up with The Elder Scrolls VI, TES: Blades would be the closest fans can get to get the vibe of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, that has now been delayed to 2019 with a recent Tweet from the game's official account.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades will release in Early 2019 for iOS and Android devices. We are incredibly excited for you to play Blades and you can still sign up for Early Access at https://t.co/uuFPob6YWJ.

People were genuinely surprised when Bethesda's director and executive producer Todd Howard initially dated the game for fall 2018 with plans to release the title on other available platforms including consoles and VR.

This is the company's second venture into mobile games after Fallout Shelter simulation game in 2015, which was ported into other platforms later. This massive first-person RPG features console quality graphics and you can sign up for Early Access at PlayBlades.com.

To celebrate X018, Microsoft’s Xbox event, games like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, PUBG and much more are added to Xbox Game Pass.

During the global celebration of Microsoft’s Xbox fan event, X018, their monthly gaming subscription service Xbox Game Pass had some defining moments for the embers by adding several more amazing games to the library.

The already enriched catalog has more than 100 great games including notable Xbox One- exclusive titles and constantly adding more whenever they get a chance. X018 just put in some new blockbuster games that you can enjoy this holiday.

Members are given access to games like Grip: Combat Racing, Sniper Elite 4 and more for November. Yet we are almost certain that some of the newly added games will make you forget the ones you were already playing until now.

Xbox Game Pass membership offers you the ultimate battle royale experience and by that, we do not mean any of those doppelganger titles out there. You crave for dark fantasy or action-adventure? We got that covered as well.

The biggest addition to the subscription service in celebration of X018 is definitely 100 players online multiplayer shooter PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds from PUBG Corporation. In just two days, PUBG will be available to access from November 12.

The second biggest announcement has to be hauntingly epic Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice from developer/publisher Ninja Theory. However, you will have to wait some more until December 17 to get your hands on the title.

Also joining the lineup in December will be indie adventure Kingdom: Two Crowns from Raw Fury and Metroidvania platform-adventure Ori and the Blind Forest from Moon Studios. Both of these games come with favorable reception and offer you a good time.

By November 22, Microsoft will add up Agents of Mayhem, MXGP3 and Thomas Was Alone to the list. Additional games from independent developers like Aftercharge, Mutant Year Zero, Pathologic 2, Secret Neighbor, Supermarket Shriek, The Good Life and Void Bastards will follow.

When upcoming platform-adventure Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be released worldwide in 2019 for PC and Xbox One, it will be made available in Xbox Game Pass at the same time. A sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, return of guardian spirit Ori in a newest release was announced back at E3 2017.

Also, the companion Xbox Game Pass app to discover the service on the go is currently available on Android and iOS to bring the experience at your handhold. You can easily discover and download games to your Xbox console using mobile devices.

By taking consumer feedback into account, Microsoft is constantly working on it make the usage of these apps more seamless. Just remember to set "Instant-On" and enable remote installations in Settings menu. If you don't have them yet, head over to App Store or Google Play to get them.

Aside from the 16 newly announced games, the subscription service offers you sensational Xbox exclusive Forza Horizon 4, the highest-rated open world driving game with a dynamic weather system and a collection of over 450 different cars.

Since the game is also an Xbox Play Anywhere title, you can choose to play it on PC or on Xbox One as it comes with shared progress and cloud save support across platforms. Another two noteworthy inclusions would be Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2.

Lastly, to provide great value to the subscribers in general, Xbox Game Pass presents a new offer on the table that new members cannot afford to pass. You can sign up for a monthly membership for the first month by spending only $1, starting today.

Offered for a limited time only, you can be a proud member to the service where more than 100 great games cataloged and brand-new titles are lining up each month. If the price still doesn't interest you then you can always try out a 14-Day Free Trial.

With lots of fan anticipation and excitement BlizzCon 2018 jump started with their opening ceremony and stream today. So much expectation is in the air and the gathered fans are growing impatient to hear announcements on their favorite title.

If you have somehow failed to catch it live or missed the program online, its okay and we got the live streamed video right here for you to take a good look at. Even if you have attended or watched it already, there is no harm taking another look, right?

Destiny 2 | FREE
Nearly at the ending of the pre-show, we learn from the developer of Destiny 2: Forsaken that the game is currently free for anyone to claim with a Battle.net account and forever to keep. All you have to do is to grab your copy before November 18.

Players who already own D2 will enjoy free trial of the newly introduced Gambit mode of the Forsaken expansion from November 9 to 11. Those who love competitive multiplayer experience and shooting down monster will surely love the trial.

It was months ago in August, when Blizzard Entertainment announced through an official video that they were working on a couple of Diablo projects that they would love to showcase at BlizzCon 2018 and Diablo Immortal is the latest in the line from the franchise.

The new cinematic released for the game reveals that it takes place between the events of DiabloII: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III, coming to both Android and iOS. Although many fans were waiting for Diablo IV, they got this but it doesn't look that bad either.

Currently available demo lets you get into the action with a touchscreen right away and it does well for a fast-paced action game. Except for Witch Doctor, most of the playable classes are available but hardcore fans of the franchise can skip this one out.

The developers also anticipated that players probably are hoping for a sequel game based on the Lord of Terror and subtly left hints that it might take more time to deliver what they want. Despite having the feel of Diablo III, the game needs more polishing to have appeal and acceptance from fans.

Based on the lore of Warcraft, free-to-play online collectible card game Hearthstone is getting a new expansion pack Rastakhan’s Rumble. It will include a solo mode, Rumble Run, the concept of Overkill and a new Tavern Brawl event.

Since they are keeping up to the current lore of WoW franchise, players are to encounter a lot of trolls. Even though all of the new cards are not revealed yet, it appears that each class will get their definite version of legendary cards with unique style.

The newest and 83rd hero character to join Heroes of the Storm, Orphea is drafted to the Nexus with a new trailer. She was born here as the daughter of Raven Lord and is called the Heir of Raven Court but she rejected the dark power. To protect the innocent, she returns home as a Hero of the Nexus.

Though comprised of characters from popular Blizzard games like Diablo, Overwatch, StarCraft and Warcraft, Orphea is an original playable character and has an alternate skin of Slacker Orphea. She is free for anyone who attended BlizzCon or owned a Virtual Ticket.

A new animated short for Blizzard's acclaimed hero shooter Overwatch titled "Reunion", which features bounty hunter Jesse McCree going up against the leader of the Deadlock Gang, Ashe to retrieve a pod from the train she just bombed down.

Seems like these two shares a past and a quick shoot-out takes place among the vigilante and the outlaws. You can easily tell that this female gunslinger is going to be the 29th hero for the game and she will soon be available to play.

Overwatch LEGO
Building brick based toy production company LEGO announced six new Overwatch series of building sets for 1 January, 2019 and they are already available for pre-order. Each set have at least two characters and a vehicle construct from the popular multiplayer shooter.

Except for Bastion, characters are paired in D.Va and Reinhardt; Genji and Hanzo; McCree, Reaper and Solider: 76; Mercy, Winston, Reaper and Pharah as well as Tracer and Widowmaker set ranging from $14.99 to $89.99 only.

In 2019, Blizzard will release a remastered version of their critically acclaimed title Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos as Warcraft III: Reforged. Almost everything from character designs and environments will be remodeled for new generation.

Back in February, there was a speculation from Patch 1.29 updates that made player assume that the popular fantasy RTS game is getting a remaster treatment and hoped to get the announcement at a then recent eSports tournament but it clearly took them enough time to reveal the project at BlizzCon 2018.

The two factions from World of Warcraft, Alliance and Horde have been through a devastating conflict in Battle for Azeroth. Alliance King Anduin approaches Horde General, Varok Saurfang asking why he spared Anduin during Battle for Lordaeron.

Turns out, this warrior was horrified by the actions of current Warchief, Sylvanas Windrunner and he hoped if spared, Alliance King could defeat her. Saurfang is released from prison because Anduin cannot defeat her alone. This will build up stage set for the game’s next patch Tides of Vengeance that will release within next few months.

World of Warcraft: Classic | Demo
2019 will also see the launch of World of Warcraft: Classic which will be something that die-hard fans will cherish and would be accessible to anyone with an ongoing subscription. Experience how the series rise to ascension in a modern re-imagined interpretation.

Currently, there is a live demo available until November 8 for BlizzCon 2018 attendees and those who own a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket. The time-limited demo can be played for 60 minutes and then wait for another 30 minutes to cool-down before logging back in.

The first major patch for WoW: Battle for Azeroth titled, Tides of Vengeance is all set to debut on December 11. With some new changes to the system, Patch 8.1 will be introducing new content to engage the players in more activities.

Tides of Vengeance will heavily focus on the Night Elves because of burning down world tree, Teldrassil. There will be a Horde versus Alliance raid with distinct order for different faction but the fight will lead them to same bosses.

Following the launch of Tides of Vengeance on December 11, there is another major patch waiting for World of Warcraft players. Rise of Azshara will be Patch 8.2 and it will take them to the home of the Naga, Nazjatar for all-new adventure.

There is a raid, "Azshara’s Eternal Palace" that challenges the champions of Azeroth to face off eight bosses and eventually confront Queen Azshara. Another continent Mechagon will be included in the update and it won’t be released until next year.

The opening ceremony program for BlizzCon 2018 was actually free for everyone to enjoy. However, you do need a $49.99 worth BlizzCon Virtual Ticket if you want to stream live the other panels of this event where developers talk in depth about the news.

Blizzard is going full festive mode this entire season and hopefully some major announcements will be there as well as some eSports events. Our watchful eyes will be eagerly looking for any cool cosplay contest with enthusiastic community members.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

This Halloween, go trick or treating with new outfits and weapons in Fortnitemares event of Fortnite Battle Royale.

With Halloween celebration headed our way faster than the comet that invaded the world of the free-to-play player-versus-player Battle Royale game Fortnite awhile ago, developer Epic Games have arranged a brand-new event for this season.

Titled Fortnitemares, it intends to bring a lot of fun experience into Battle Royale gameplay by introducing Cube Monsters and new weapons into the mix. Since the event is already live now, you are all set to go out hunting creepy creatures of the night.

The first thing you need to for a celebration like this is to dress up and looking good, for which you have a Deadfire Outfit. It will change style with in-match progression whether it is against AI or other participating players from the game.

Based on how long have you been in the match or the type of damage you inflict upon enemies, this outfit will make progress. We cannot help but notice an uncanny resemblance of this cowboy-styled outfit to the one Arthur Morgan wears in Red Dead Redemption 2 with a twist of Undead Nightmare.

Players are allowed to stylize the Deadfire costume with Shackled Stone Back Bling and also wield a Dark Shard pickaxe to match with its look. However, they are both cosmetics item to show off and not anything more than that.

To carry out a better swag to your homies, you can choose from a number of new weapons like the new Six Shooter and make a spectacle display of your shooting skills. If you are planning on going for slaying monsters on Halloween night, the Demon Hunter crossbow would be a good choice.

Like any other events, Fortnitemares comes with a slew of challenges as well for each week, completing which will reward you with different cosmetic items every time. The first week will kick off with Storm Monsters that you need to take care of, go to a Corrupted Area during matches and dance at Different Halloween Objects. Simple enough, right?

So, come back to seek new challenges and complete them to get your well deserved rewards. Upon finishing the final set of challenges, players will receive the spooky train glider as a grand prize! So, hop into the battle bus and head for PvP combat in Fortnite Battle Royale throughout one giant map.